


one dream at a time

by towokuwusatsuwu



Series: Pride 2018: 30 Days of S.W.O.R.D. [19]
Category: HiGH&LOW: the Story of S.W.O.R.D. (TV)
Genre: Agender Character, Established Relationship, Everyone Is Gay, F/M, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Multi, Polyamory, Pride, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Trans Female Character, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-20
Updated: 2018-06-20
Packaged: 2019-05-26 00:13:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14988572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/towokuwusatsuwu/pseuds/towokuwusatsuwu
Summary: Predictably, though, Jesse has to fall against the door of the van, a hand thrown dramatically over his chest. “My boy’s a superhero today,” he says, mock gasping for air.Pearl scoffs loudly at him when he finally gets out of the car. “You keep up that smooth talk of yours and Ice is gonna wise up and leave so you better watch out.”“Shut up. No one asked.” Jesse pushes himself off of the van and throws both his arms around Ice, under the flag, his hands cool on Ice’s already sun-warmed skin. “You look so good, you know that? I love you so much.”Ice rolls his eyes behind his sunglasses but gives Jesse the kiss he wants just the same.





	one dream at a time

Coming here together has always been a tradition for Ice. He comes with his friends, the found family he scrapes through each day with, the people he loves more than anything in the world, who he shares his dream with. His first year here was spent hand-in-hand with Ryu and Jesse, feeling on top of the world, feeling like he found a place he might belong for the first time in a long time. The only difference between then and now is how much more confident he is in his own skin, how happy he is, how he has more people to share this day with, the incredible energy that seems to bind them all together a little tighter to their community.

Sarah clips the pink, blue, and white flag together for him, a gold clip through the reinforced holes; he’ll fly it proud on his body today, a symbol of who he is and everything he stands for. The air is already hot and humid so Ice wears nothing over or under his binder, the black material keeping his chest flat, on display today because he wants everyone to know. No part of him is ashamed of who he is, or what he is. Today, he will celebrate everything he is a symbol of.

“My handsome boy.” Sarah leaves a pink sticky lipstick print on his cheek when they get out of the car and Ice doesn’t wipe it away, proud to wear it today. His girlfriend looks amazing, vivid eyeshadow in blue, pink, and purple highlighting her beautiful eyes. “Did Ryu say they were going to march with us today? I can’t remember if they got out of Kuryu duty or not.”

“They did!” The voice is Bernie’s as he pops out of the car, all skin today, a rainbow crop top and tiny black shorts that barely cover anything. But today is Bernie’s favorite day of the year, and he loves to show off naturally. “Genji is supposed to bring them. He’s going to march with us, too.”

“Might as well,” Ice quips, folding his arm around Sarah’s shoulders. “The more, the merrier.”

Prison Gang come in their own van, a beaten-up scratched-up vividly painted vehicle Jesse loves with his entire heart and soul no matter how awful and tacky it looks. Someone— probably Brown— has spray painted it in a rainbow of colors, so it looks somehow better and worse than usual. Jesse hops out of the driver’s seat, his leopard coat in place over a bare chest, his top surgery scars on proud display. Ice has never been so proud of him.

Predictably, though, Jesse has to fall against the door of the van, a hand thrown dramatically over his chest. “My boy’s a  _ superhero _ today,” he says, mock gasping for air.

Pearl scoffs loudly at him when he finally gets out of the car. “You keep up that smooth talk of yours and Ice is gonna wise up and leave so you better watch out.”

“Shut up. No one asked.” Jesse pushes himself off of the van and throws both his arms around Ice, under the flag, his hands cool on Ice’s already sun-warmed skin. “You look so good, you know that? I love you so much.”

Ice rolls his eyes behind his sunglasses but gives Jesse the kiss he wants just the same.

Jesse’s boys spill out of the van from all the doors and even the back, some of them splattered with what was probably the spray paint applied to the van, all of them whooping and yelling as they congregate together. Brown favors full-length binders but has switched to a shorter one today like Ice’s, and someone has painted the trans flag on his cheek. He’s exuberant energy as always and Ice gladly cracks their knuckles together, proud of his brother in arms.

“I’d like to see anyone mess with us today,” he says, throwing an arm around Ice’s shoulders and another around Jesse’s, touchy as always.

Pho comes to join them and Ice whistles up at him, laughing when Pho wrinkles his nose at him, but it’s not often they see Pho out of the fur and someone had bullied him into wearing a tank top, showing off all those impressive muscles in his arms. “Ain’t nobody coming at us sideways with Pho here to protect us all. You gonna keep us safe, big man?”

“Fuck yes.” There’s no hesitation in Pho’s voice when he answers, and Ice feels that soft undercurrent of warmth for him. “No one’s touching any of you.”

Diddy and Dixie join them a few minutes later, and Diddy has taken a page out of Ice’s book, just a binder today. When their eyes meet, there’s a slight hesitation there, an uncertainty, but Ice flashes him a big smile and a thumbs up with both hands, proud of his little brother for coming out and being proud of himself. The binder is a patterned one that matches Dixie’s bra— she’s gone topless to match Diddy, their arms linked together. Tied around their wrists, keeping them together, is a simple nylon rope in the trans colors. Telling all the world who they are and that they’re together, and Ice is so damned proud of them.

When a sleek black car pulls up next to their own, though, his heart skips a beat and he holds his breath, not wanting to get his hopes up, not able to see past the tinted glass enough. But when the driver’s door swings open and Genji steps out, his heart goes into overdrive. He finds Sarah’s hand and squeezes it tight, and she returns the favor. When he looks at her, he can see the same excitement in her eyes. When he looks at Jesse, it’s the same. They’re all ready for their pretty dragon to come back to them, even if for just a little while.

Genji opens the door for Ryu to step out, and Ice’s jaw threatens to hit the pavement as Ryu steps out in one smooth, fluid movement. Black on black just like Ice expects out of them at this point, because he knows Ryu. But it’s black fur on top of black shorts, and there’s so much skin on display in a way he’s never seen before, because Ryu does not show off themself like this, not even in private casual settings.

“Ryu!” Ice can’t wait, just can’t, sprints across the blacktop to throw his arms around Ryu and pull them close, nosing the side of their neck. “I missed you so fucking much.”

“Ice.” Ryu’s arms slip around his shoulders and pull him closer and if Ice’s eyes sting just a little, well, he has the sunglasses to hide that, doesn’t he? “I missed you, too, and Sarah, and Jesse. But I wasn’t going to miss spending today with all of you.”

Genji gives them the space they need, letting Sarah and Jesse come in so it’s just the four of them for a minute despite how many cars are pulling up, how many people are grouping up and gathering together in preparation. There’s nothing but the four of them. Ice kisses Ryu, missing the taste of their lips, the softness of their hair under his fingers, how they fit so nicely in his arms. He missed the way they look kissing Sarah, too, and it’s been  _ years _ but it’s still just as good to see Jesse kiss Ryu, winding a hand in their hair to pull them close.

“Jesse,” Ryu says, amusement dripping in their voice, “you came dressed to impress.”

“You’re talking about  _ me _ but you come out here like this. I can’t believe it.” Jesse shakes his head, and his voice is so  _ warm _ it melts Ice all the way through.

Ryu looks down at themself, smoothing a pale hand through the soft dark fur. “Well, it’s not something I would choose for myself in an ordinary circumstance, but Ice has long since taught me that pride is important. I am proud of who I am, and I won’t be ashamed on this day.”

“Shut up before you make me cry,” Ice says, a quaver already entering his voice.

“You really are every bit the visionary you think you are,” Sarah tells him, and Ice chokes at her words, not ready for all of this.

“Genji,” Ryu says, and the man in question sidles up next to them, his face as carefully stoic and blank as always. “You’re staying with us, right? You told me you were when I talked to you about it but I’m checking to make sure you haven’t changed your mind.”

“I’ll be staying,” Genji says, careful and measured. “I’ve never had the opportunity to participate in a march before, so I’ll take the chance now.”

Jesse whoops and smacks Genji on the back, not that it visually shows, of course. “Glad to have you, man! Any friend of Ryu’s is a friend of ours and today is the day to come together.”

“Wait, wait!” Bernie darts back to the car, and Ice watches, amused, as he opens the trunk just to pull out the biggest damned boombox Ice has ever seen, because of course he does. Because it’s Bernie, and because this is right up his alley. “Oh, this is kinda heavier than I thought it was going to be.”

Pearl snickers at him. “Told you, baby boy, it’s too heavy for you.”

“Shut up!” Bernie manages to heft it enough to close the trunk lid and then, of course, walks up to Pho, making the biggest puppy dog eyes Ice has ever seen from him, and that’s saying something. “Pho, please carry it for me! It’s twink-hunk solidarity.”

If Pho turned him down, Ice is sure no one would be surprised. But to everyone’s surprise, Pho takes the massive thing from Bernie, lets him push buttons until he’s satisfied the music is what he wants and it’s mixed how he wants it. Then Pho balances the enormous thing on his shoulder like it weighs nothing— To him, it might not— And tucks the other arm around Bernie’s shoulders, pulling Bernie up against his side. If Bernie had been capable of speech, he might have just burst into tears.

“Gotta keep you close, right?” Pho asks, though there’s something in his voice. “In case you need to switch the music around. Can’t let you get lost in the crowd.”

Bernie nods up at him, shining brighter than the sun. “Exactly!”

“We ready to go?” Brown slings an arm around Miou’s shoulders and the other around Akune’s, and Ice doesn’t miss the way they both wrap an arm around him in turn. It’s a cozy set-up. “March should just be about to start.”

Ice is the de facto leader even with Jesse here; he double checks to make sure everyone is with them before leading them into the crowd. Sarah takes him by the hand before he can even ask, her fingers slotting between his own; she smiles at him when he looks at her, and there’s something so sweet and fond in her eyes that his heart swells. He knows how lucky he is to have her in his life, never thinking that the loner girl they picked up one night would go on to become one of the loves of his life.

Maybe he’d been hoping for it, though.

Ryu takes the other hand, their fur brushing against Ice’s arm just under where the flag ends. “Is this all right? Or would you prefer to hold Jesse’s hand?”

“This is perfect.” Ice squeezes Ryu’s slender fingers, hoping they never think Ice will be able to replace them, not physically and not in his heart. “‘Sides, looks like Jesse is trying to get sweet with your man there. Tell me our boy’s not gonna have a hit out on him.”

Ryu tilts their head, eyeing the way Jesse sidles up next to Genji, and shakes their head, a small smile tugging at their soft lips. “Everything will be fine. Genji is amused.”

The sun beats down on their shoulders, warm and high in the sky. Ice has his best girl with him, his best boy close by, and his best datemate at his side again. Jesse’s boys are meshing nicely with his people and he feels like he can breathe easy for the first time in a long time. Surrounded by friends and the people he loves, he couldn’t be happier.


End file.
